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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22533856">he changes the game, she plays and she raises the stakes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexSeanchai/pseuds/AlexSeanchai'>AlexSeanchai</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>3 Sentence Fiction, Adrien Agreste is good at keeping people's attention, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, Fake Character Death, Gabriel Agreste's A+ Parenting, Identity Reveal, Podfic Welcome, Puns &amp; Word Play</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 09:14:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>276</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22533856</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexSeanchai/pseuds/AlexSeanchai</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mayura brought the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses to Hawkmoth, only for him to realize he doesn't know the incantation to wish the world how he wills it after all. Perhaps if their teammates, among them the Fox Ladyblogger and the conniving Rat girl and his failed-Snake of a defiant son, know their beloved leaders are dead and they themselves may soon die, and only telling Hawkmoth the correct incantation will save any of them…?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>375</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>he changes the game, she plays and she raises the stakes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>prompt: <i>reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated</i></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You're lying," Adrien tells Hawkmoth—voice shaking, holding back tears, as though he believes Hawkmoth's words even as he protests them: he knows Hawkmoth lies when he says <em>Chat Noir</em> is dead, he can't be <em>certain</em> it's a lie when Hawkmoth says Ladybug is: "you're lying!"</p><p>Mayura is standing back to back with Hawkmoth, watching Alya groan, Kim bleed, Mylène gasp for breath, and Marinette struggle to her feet—Mayura isn't <em>doing</em> anything, though, as though Marinette is no threat, and Hawkmoth is watching <em>Adrien</em> (and Nino and Luka and Max, all the battered, broken Miraculous wielders Ladybug leads, Adrien doesn't know where Chloé is any more than he does Ladybug but all the rest are <em>here</em>): "Ladybug's alive!" Adrien yells, to keep his attention, to keep their attention a few moments longer, "we won't tell you how to wish it how you want it, Ladybug's going to <em>kill</em> you," and he isn't lying himself, none of them know the right words for wishing, and if Ladybug doesn't (can't) murder the man for what he's doing to Plagg and Tikki and Nooroo and <em>Marinette</em> then Adrien <em>will</em>—</p><p>Marinette trips past Mayura and Hawkmoth—the gold-edged violet Hawkmoth wears crackles to black-spotted purple as green light flares over Marinette and she pivots to stand between them and Adrien as cool death bubbles up in her black-gloved hand: "Ladybug's a baker's daughter," she pants out, "<em>sticky fingers</em>, punch her down and she <em>rises</em>," and whatever Hawkmoth sees in her eyes means what Adrien sees in his is abject fear: "now <em>where's my partner?</em>" and Adrien must answer with a fierce smile "Right behind you as always, my Lady."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Find me on <a href="https://alexseanchai.dreamwidth.org/">Dreamwidth</a> and <a href="https://alexseanchai.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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